Rock and Roll Scientists: Softube's Todd Urban on Pre-Production Intention, Philosophy & Facilitated Creative Momentum for Tracking and Mixing (Part 1).

In this podcast episode Ashea is joined by Todd Urban, General Manager at Softube, educator at Passaic County Community College, and creator of the Urban Sound Studio YouTube channel. With over 30 years of experience in audio production, Todd discusses Softube's philosophy of being "rock and roll scientists," the evolution from Console One to the groundbreaking Flow Studio hardware, and how creative workflow and intentional pre-production can transform recording and mixing practices.Todd shares insights into Flow Studio's design philosophy of facilitating "flow state" rather than perfectionism, the importance of committing to decisions in tracking, the balance between hardware and software in hybrid workflows, and how understanding mixing principles makes tracking engineers more effective.In This Episode:30+ Years in Audio: From DIY to Industry Leadership — Journey from musician with minimal resources through education to industry leadershipThe 'Rock and Roll Scientists' Philosophy — Combining musical edge with scientific rigor for innovation and challengeConsole One: Redefining Mixing in the Box — 2014 breakthrough introducing hardware control for digital channel stripsFlow Studio: From Zero to 80% Mixes — Facilitating flow state and creative momentum through intelligent designFlows and Presets as Creative Tools — Pre-configured signal chains enabling quick professional-sounding starting pointsThe Omni Knob: Macro Control Design — Five knobs with main macro control addressing real workflow needsHybrid Workflow Philosophy — Balancing hardware summing and analogue gear with in-the-box mixingDecision Fatigue vs. Creative Exploration — When to commit during tracking versus maintaining flexibility during mixingPre-Production Planning and Intention — Establishing emotional objectives and sonic goals before trackingTracking Conservative, Mixing Creative — Capturing intentional raw material for successful mixingTeaching Audio Production: Learning from Students — Educators staying current with trends while maintaining principlesThe Role of Recording Engineers in Modern Production — Why understanding mixing makes tracking engineers more effectiveAbout Our Guest:Todd Urban:Todd Urban is the General Manager at Softube with 10+ years at the company across product education, development, management, and marketing. With over 30 years of professional audio experience, Todd holds degrees in orchestral arranging, music education, jazz performance, music management, and a production master's from UC Berkeley. He is the creator of the Urban Sound Studio YouTube channel and teaches at Passaic County Community College in New Jersey.About Our Host:Ashea is a platinum-selling songwriter, music producer, and audio engineer from the UK. With credits spanning notable artists, major labels, and prestigious broadcasters, Ashea brings authentic conversations between industry professionals to the Production Expert Podcast.